Iranian warships' visit risks straining Sudan-Gulf ties

PORT SUDAN, Sudan - Saturday's visit by Iranian warships to Sudan, the second such visit in little over a month, risks widening divisions inside the African country's government and upsetting its Gulf Arab donors.

Two Iranian navy ships also visited in October, days after Sudan accused Israel of bombing a weapons factory in the capital Khartoum. Israel declined to comment on the alleged attack but has accused Sudan of smuggling weapons to the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the Iranian-allied Palestinian movement Hamas.

Sudanese officials described the doc king of Iran's 23th fleet - destroyer Jamaran and logistics ship Bushehr - for three days in Port Sudan on Saturday as a routine refueling stop.

"The port has seen similar visits from ships from America, Europe and the rest of the world," army spokesman al-Sawarmi Khalid told reporters late on Friday.